The present invention relates to an enclosure for an electrical device that has a through passageway for routing cables. More particularly, the present invention relates to an enclosure for an electrical device including a wall portion having a through passageway with a rolled edge for routing cables. A movable tray overlies the wall portion and has a removable knock-out portion that substantially aligns with the through passageway.
Conventional enclosures for electrical devices are generally used to help transmit voice and data communications, which are transmitted through electric wires, fiber optic cables with a plurality of fiber optic strands, coaxial cables, or microwave systems. Fiber optic lines are becoming the most desirable transmission medium because they have a larger transmission capacity than other transmission media. Thus, to handle the large volume of voice and data communications in many applications, commercial carriers that operate wide area networks and businesses using internal networks often install fiber optic cables.
In a typical application, a telecommunication company or other commercial carrier connects one or more fiber optic cables to an enclosure unit or electrical box. Each fiber optic cable generally has a plurality of fiber optic strands; and each fiber optic strand is generally connected to a separate connector in the enclosure unit. The connectors of the enclosure units are also coupled to internal lines routed to adapters, jacks or other types of connectors at specific locations within a building. Enclosure units are usually wall or rack mounted. To maximize the number of enclosure units that can fit in the limited space of a typical communications room, a number of enclosure units are preferably mounted in a single rack.
With a typical rack-mount enclosure unit, a number of connection units are vertically mounted in the rack. The fiber optic cables or individual fiber optic strands typically pass from one enclosure unit to the next by being fed or threaded into cable passageways in the sides, tops and/or bottoms in the enclosure units.
Conventional rack-mount and wall-mount enclosure units have several limitations. Generally, when threading or passing cables through the cable passageways, the cables can be chafed, cut or damaged by the edge of the passageway in the metal enclosure unit. Additionally, when the conventional cable through passageways are not in use, dust, dirt or other debris may enter through the cable passageway into the enclosure unit damaging any electrical wiring, connectors or other electrical devices inside. Some conventional enclosure units may attempt to avoid this problem by passing the cables through grommets, gaskets or other rubber barriers. However, this makes the installation more difficult and time consuming, since it is usually necessary to cut holes in the gasket and then feed the cable through a relatively small hole in the gasket.
Examples of conventional through passageways for routing cable are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. No.: 5,933,563 to Schaffer et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,997 to Lecinski; U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,922 to Arnett; U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,808 to Keith; U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,570 to Cook et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,773 to Noon et al.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved enclosure for an electrical device having a cable through passageway.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure for an electrical device that allows cables to be installed therein in an easy and time efficient manner.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure for an electrical device with a cable through passageway that eliminates or reduces chafing, cutting or damaging of cables passed therethrough.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure for an electrical device that has a cable through passageway that can be easily covered to protect the interior of the enclosure or uncovered to allow passage of a cable therethrough.
The foregoing objects are basically obtained by providing an enclosure for an electrical device including a first wall portion with a first cable through passageway having an edge, a portion of the edge being rolled. A second wall portion is adjacent the first portion and has a removable knock-out portion at least partially covering a second cable through passageway.
By forming an enclosure for an electrical device according to the present invention, a cable can be passed through the cable passageway easily, quickly and without chafing or damaging the cable. Additionally, the cable passageway can be easily covered to protect the interior of the enclosure unit from dust, dirt or other debris.
Other objects, advantages and salient features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention.